Omokage's expression changed.
Things were unfolding in the exact opposite direction of what he had anticipated.
After acquiring Shuji's corpse—along with Uvogin, Shalnark, and Kortopi's—Omokage had experienced a massive boost in strength, and with that came a surge in confidence. He had specifically come here to ambush Machi, fully convinced there would be no surprises.
Misty was still a child. Nina wasn't much older. Ron looked like the strongest of the group, but Omokage didn't believe Ron could be more powerful than Feitan or the others. Shizuku appeared clueless. Ponzu clearly wasn't strong.
With that lineup, Omokage had no idea how he could possibly lose.
So when he saw Ron not moving, he was actually looking forward to seeing Ron finally take action.
But before Ron could even lift a hand, Omokage's puppets were already on the verge of defeat.
"How is this possible? That clueless-looking woman—how is she stronger than Shalnark? And that little girl… how can someone so young be this powerful? What the hell is going on? Machi's strength... is she actually stronger than Shuji?"
Misty exhaled deeply. "Let's finish this."
A white flame ignited around him. The next moment, she lunged toward Uvogin.
Bang!
Their fists collided head-on.
The already weakened Uvogin shuddered from the impact. His body froze for a split second. Shizuku's ability had significantly weakened him.
Misty seized the opening. In a flash, she appeared behind Uvogin.
"Ultra Punishing Flash!"
A surge of immense power struck Uvogin square in the back.
Boom!
Uvogin's body shattered into fragments that scattered through the air. Shizuku raised Blinky and effortlessly absorbed every last piece.
At the same time, Machi finished her battle. Shuji's neck had been severed.
Omokage's expression turned grim.
But this was no longer just about being in a bad mood—his puppets were falling one after another, and it was clear he had to flee.
He hesitated, then abruptly turned and retreated.
"Damn it! Who the hell are these people? Why are they all so strong? I just got those puppets—and now they're all destroyed! Damn it! I'll remember you all! Wait for it! You've humiliated me like this—just wait for my revenge! The next time we meet, I'll make sure you all suffer worse than death!"
Omokage moved fast.
He had started from a distance, and in the blink of an eye, he was just a small dot in the distance.
Machi stared in the direction he fled, briefly stunned.
"That guy…"
She felt a familiar aura.
Ron raised his hand.
He hadn't made a move earlier because he believed Misty and the others could handle it on their own. But now that Omokage was trying to escape, he wasn't going to just stand by.
"Nen Bullet: Storm!"
"Nen Bullet: Flame!"
Two nen bullets formed—one in each hand.
Ron recalled his Six Harmonies Sphere and began fusing the two nen bullets together.
This was something he had been working on for a while—inspired by the fusion jutsu concept from the Naruto world. In Naruto, single-element techniques were often less powerful. Kekkei Genkai were usually formed from fusing multiple chakra natures. Those without a Kekkei Genkai who still wanted stronger techniques had to use elemental fusion jutsu—combining two elements to form something stronger than either alone.
Ron had been developing the same idea after gaining the Six Harmonies Sphere. With six elements at his disposal, he realized he could combine them in different ways, unlocking even greater possibilities within nen and dramatically boosting his combat potential.
Now, he had finally mastered one fusion: flame and storm.
He hurled the fused bullet in Omokage's direction.
Boom!
The moment it struck, the entire area erupted in a fiery blast. The atmosphere turned unbearably dry. Omokage could feel the moisture being sucked from the air—and even from within his own body.
Parched. Severely parched.
His body staggered and collapsed to the ground.
A single strike—severely wounded.
Omokage, truthfully, was not very strong. Part of it was his own nen capacity—he was never on the same level as Chrollo or Hisoka within the Troupe. His strength lay not in his own body, but in his puppets—much like how Ron's core power once resided in his nen beast.
But unlike Ron, who had used Second Shadow to absorb Toriko and continuously evolved through the "Gourmet Cell" ability, Omokage had no such reinforcement. His physical body remained a weakness.
So when faced with Ron's newly developed fusion ability, he couldn't withstand it—that was only natural.
Machi moved instantly.
She caught up to the fallen Omokage.
"Nen Threads: Bind."
Threads shot out and wrapped around him.
He was in no shape to resist. Severely wounded and restrained, he could only allow Machi to drag him back.
Her expression was grim.
"Machi, you know this guy?" Ron asked.
"Yes," Machi replied, her voice cold. "This is Omokage. He used to be Phantom Troupe member Number Four. He was killed by Hisoka—or so we thought. I didn't expect him to still be alive. And he stole the corpses of Shuji, Uvogin, Shalnark, and Kortopi."
She drew a blade and stabbed it into Omokage's body.
"Why?" she demanded. "Why did you do that?"
As former members of the Phantom Troupe, Machi had far deeper ties with Uvogin than she ever had with Omokage. And the fact that Omokage had stolen the corpses of their own meant he had crossed a line.
Not to mention—he had just tried to ambush Ron and the others, and she had been within his range of attack.
There was no bond left between them.
"Why?" Omokage muttered. "All I did was chase after power. What crime is that? I lost. Just kill me."
Machi snorted. "Kill you? That would be too easy. Killing you would be giving you an escape. I'll contact the others. I want the entire Troupe to see what you've done—to see what a disgrace you've become to Meteor City."
She pulled out her phone.
"Machi?" came Nobunaga's voice on the other end.
"Nobunaga… I've found the one who stole Shuji's corpse."